Submarine vessel.



A. FERNANDEZ. SUBMARINE VESSEL.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT-20, l9l6,

Patented Aug. 7, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

( m neuter A. FERNANDEZ. SUBMARINE VESSEL. APPLIQATION FILED SEPT-20. I916. 1,235,780. Patented Aug. 7,1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

mu- I @lfylama FEM/Mex cred.

ALPHO NSE FERNANDEZ, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

SUBMARINE VESSEL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. v, 1917.

Application filed September 20, 1916. Serial No. 121,245.

To all whom it may 007l0c77t.

Be. it known that I, ALPIIONSE FERNAN- nnz, a subject of the King of Spain, residing at the city of Washington, in the District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Submarine Vessels; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. 4 a

The object of the present invention is to equip a large submarine with another submarine vessel in miniature and to provide means whereby the small submarine may be released from the pther and again recov- With the foregoing general object in view the invention resides in certain novel features of construction and in unique co1n' binations of parts to be hereinafter fully described and claimed, the descriptive matter being supplemented by the accompanying drawings which constitute a part of this application and in which:

Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section of the miniature submarine housed within a compartment of the larger vessel or mother ship; v

Fig. 2 is primarily a side elevation of the miniature ship and buoy to which the same is normally coupled, the compartment in the mother'ship being shown in section;

' Fig. is a vertical transverse section on the plane of the line 33 of Fig.1;

Fig. 1 is'a similar view with the doors of the compartment open; A

Fig. 5 is a detail transverse section, showin the coupling device on the miniature su marine for connecting it with the buoy;

Fi 6 is a side elevation of the buoy showlng'the means thereon for guiding the small submarine so as to cause the coacting coupling devices on the buoy and the ship to properly engage each other. 4

In the drawings the numeral 1 has reference to a submarine provided in its upper side or at any other suitable location with a compartment 2 whose lower end is contracted'and carries a Windlass 3 which may be rotated by the application of power to the gear 4.- A pair of hinged doors 5 normally exclude water from the compartment 2, these doors being connected by links 1] with heads 7 swiveled on the upper ends of vertical screws 8 which may beoperated from the interior of the submarine 1. An additional door '9 is provided in one end of the compartment 2 for giving access to the latter from the interior of the vessel.

Housed normally within the compartment 2 is a miniature submarine 10 having a hatchway or the like 11 by means of whichit may be entered from the compartment 2.

The miniature submarinelO is complete in all details, being equipped with the usual or any preferred submerging means and with all of the necessary equipment to permit it to submerge, rise and launch torpedoes in the well known manner. In Fig. 1

the periscope is illustrated at 12, the en'- gines at 13, the rudder at 14:, the pilot wheel at 15, the torpedo tube at 16 and at 17 is shown a device by whose use mine cables 1 may be gripped and out if desired, said device also serving for the purpose of plantin or transplanting mines.

i pair of V-shaped bars 18 depend from the sides of the .vessellO and are connected a at their angles by a transverse somewhat V- shaped bar 19, the latter constituting a coupling member over which either of the hooks 20 of another coupling member 21 are adapted to pass as shown in Fig. 1, said member 21 being carried by a buoy 22 which by means of a shackle or the like 23 is connected with a cable 24 wound on the drum 3.

In use, the large submarine 1 carrying the miniature vessel 10 will travel for instance,

to the mouth of a river in which the Water is of insuflicient depth to permit it to enter, yet there may be a number of vessels along this riverwhich if torpedoed would greatly injure the enemy. The large vessel may therefore submerge at any suitable point and may then open the doors 5 and unwind point at which it was released and couple onto the device 21, this being facilitated by a pair of signals 25 which rise from the buoy 22 on opposite sides of the coupling member is positioned obliquely'or crosswise of the compartment 2 and will not therefore readil} enter the same, a person within the submarine may insert his arm and hand into a flexible sleeve 26 shown in Fig. 1 and may thus reach into the compartment 2 to turn the small ship to its proper position, the resistance being infinitesimal when the vessel is submerged. As shown, the sleeve 26 is preferably carried in a tubular housing 27 whose inner end is normally closed by a screw cap or the like 28. p

Whenever the miniature submarine returns to the larger vessel after discharging a torpedo or a series of torpedoes according to its structure, it may be re-loadcd from the/ interior of the large vessel by opening the door 9 and injecting the torpedoes directly into the launching apparatus of the miniature boat. In order that the links 6 may not interfere during this operation they are bowed outwardlyas shown in Figs. 3 and 4. The miniature submarine may be used for other purposes than that above pointed out, according to the equipment carried thereby. For instance, by means of the device 17 shown in Fig. l, the cables of floating mines maybe cut or said cables may be grasped to transplant the enemys mines to position them in what were previously unmined channels. Also, the device 17 may be'uscd for planting mines but all of the advantages of this device and its mannerof operation need not be entered into in the present case since said device constitutes the subject'inatter of another application.

From the foregoing, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings,-the numerous possibilities of the invention will be understood by those skilled in naval warfare and it will be obvious that in a number of cases the miniaturesubmarine carried by thelarger submarine" vessel may prove an effective instrument oi warfare. In the drawings, certain specific details have been shown for illustrative purposes, and such, details have been herein described but it is to be understood thatv within the scope of the invention as claimed, numerous changes may be made without sacriii-cingthe principal advantages.

I I claim: v 1. In ail-instrument of submarine wart-arc, the combination iii" a submarine boat, a

,miniature sulmiersiblc.boat carried by the larger vessel, under water navigating means alu'llorpcdo launching means carried bysaid miniature boat, and means permitting man-' In combination, a compa 'atively large submarine, a miniature submarine carried thereby to be released therefrom at will, and

- means for again coupling the smaller to the larger vessel.

In combination, a comparatively large submarine, a min ature submarine carried thereby to be released therefrom at will, and

coacting coupling members carried by the two vessels for again connecting the same.

I. In combination, a comparatively large submarine, a miniature submarine carried thereby to be released therefrom at will, and means for returning the smaller vessel to the larger, said means including coacting coupling members for the two vessels, a float for bu'oying the coupling member of the larger, submarine upwardly, and a cable for lowering this coupling member when that of the miniature submarine is engaged therewith.

- 5. In combination, a comparatively large" submarine, a miniature submarine carried thereby to be released therefrom at Wlll,

means for returning the smaller vessel to the larger, said means including coacting coupling members for the two vessels, a float for buoying the coupling member of the larger vessel upwardly, and a cable for drawing this member downwardly after that of the smaller submarine is engaged therewith; and means onv the float for guiding the sinaller'vcssel to cause the ,two coupling members to properly engage.

6. In combination, a cmnparatively large submarine, a miniature submarine carried thereby to be released therefrom at will, means for returning the smaller vcssel to the larger, said means including coacting coupling members for the two.vessels, a float for buoyiug the coupling member (if-the larger vessel upwardly, and a cable for drawing this member downwardly after that of the smaller submarine is ei-igagcd therewith; and a pair of signals carried by the float, the miniature submarine being adapted to run between said signals to properlyengage the two coupling members.

7.-'The combination with a submarine, of a buoy, a cable for permitting said buoy to ascend and for again retrieving the same, a hook like coupling member rising from the buoy, aminiature submarine, and a transverse bar carried by said miniature submarine below the bottom thereof for engagement with said coupling member.

8. In an instrument of submarine warfare,

ting the insertion of torpedoes from the in vessel into Said Well in line with said torpedo terior of. the large Vessel into the torpedo launching means whereby the latter may be launching apparatus of the miniature vessel. loaded from the interior vi} the larger vessel.

9. In an instrument of submarine warfare, Indestimony whereof F-hnre hereunto set. 15 the combination of a submarine'hont having my lnmd in the presence nf two subscribing it well and means for normally excluding witnesses.

enter 1 refr. ini'r ur snbnnlrine mt Y x Y H v i e b ALPHONBDJ 1 elmltmm l earned by the larger vessel, underwater 1 navlgutrng'means endtorpedo lnunclnng \V-xtnessee:

means earned by sald mnnature boat, and :r L. t). l'hmox,

deer leading from the interior of the large n J. A. Gnrnsrrwnn. 

